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| the one in the middle only flowers in summer |
In the analysis and debate following German reunification in 1989, when things didn't exactly proceed as fairy-tale-y as imagined, there was this one statement that - at the time - captured it: A nation has risen to be able to go shopping.
Today, in one of the many comments on the US election results, I read: You voted for fascism because cereal, eggs and gasoline have become more expensive?
Obviously, that's not the whole picture and I am an ignorant old woman from Europe. But still. I made the mistake (?) of downloading the entire Project 2025 and started to get the shivers on page 3: Fatherlessness is one of the principal sources of American poverty, crime, mental illness, teen suicide, substance abuse, rejection of the church, and high school dropouts. WTF. No source given, of course, no research results, no statistics, no evidence, just a nasty piece of opinion.
Also, on Wednesday after we got the news on the US election in the morning, our own government collapsed in the afternoon - these two events are not (yet) related and while our own versions of the ultra right wing and the not quite ultra right wing but nevertheless nasty populists are all getting ready, we don't seem to have as nasty a piece of shit in line as trump (yet). But when in the far future, two German historians should meet and one asks the other, what's your area of research? and the answer is, November 5th 2024, the next question inevitably will be, am or pm?
I believe there are two things that can stop the fascists. The first is their own vast incompetence. The second is all of us. I think I'd rather count on the second than the first. Actually, here is a third thing: climate change.
Remember. There is a lot of power in society that is not in hands of elected heads and their staff. There is power in state and local governments, the courts, federal bureaucracy, schools, nonprofits, businesses, churches, mosques and synagogues, in local communities and yes, in families, with or without a father. Much of this power can be used to work to stop or mitigate the bad things that a fascist, autocratic whatever government is imposing.
I have a cold, my throat is raw, R made me do a covid tests (neg) and I am grumpy. Also, angry, because I want to go outside but: too exhausted.
Finally:
The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have never looked at the world.
I think climate change will trump (pardon or don't pardon the card playing expression) all of our efforts political...and hopefully we (some of us at least my children and grandchildren) will get this living as part of nature to be understood and cherished.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts here, as always. I especially like the Turkish Proverb.
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better soon. And the americans, god only knows when they'll feel better. What's that old saying by Oscar Wilde? "When the gods want to punish us, they answer our prayers" I'm guessing a lot of evangelicals were praying for trump, sucks to be them.
ReplyDeleteempires rise and fall. history is full of it. we are falling. it remains to be seen for how long.
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better soon, too. I'm still reeling over here but also feeling some good old-fashioned woman rage. I'm ready to do the work, to resist, carry water, help, love, commune.
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ReplyDeleteDo feel better soon. Your posts are excellent addressing the catastrophe which has happened in the U.S. but has effects in the rest of the world, too. I won't repeat all I felt compelled to write on my blog post though I hadn't been writing frequently for some time so few readers still visit.
Did our voters not understand fascism was a factor? Did they not know what fascism is? So many questions. Maybe, as hard as it is for me to believe this, there are more people in my country fascists than I ever thought.
I really appreciate what you have written, especially about fascism. The forrest and ax - excellent - as is the quote you had read that clearly states the choice the majority had. The lessons of history have not escaped me.
I never expected this type issue in the later years of my life but will remain positive in my attitude and how I am able to cope.